ICC Chief Prosecutor Khan cleared of sexual misconduct by judges: Report

Judges have cleared the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, of all wrongdoing after an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct, Middle East Eye reports.Middle East Eye says that a panel of three judges submitted a confidential report to the court’s oversight body, the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), on March 9.According to two diplomatic sources who read the report and two other diplomatic sources briefed on it, the judges unanimously found that the information presented in a report by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Service (OIOS) “did not establish any misconduct or breach of duty”.“The Panel is unanimously of the opinion that the factual findings by OIOS do not establish misconduct or breach of duty under the relevant framework,” the report concluded, according to the sources.The OIOS investigation was commissioned by the head of the ASP in November 2024 after a member of Khan’s office accused the prosecutor of sexual misconduct.In August last year, a second woman came forward and alleged that Khan had abused his power over her while she was working for the British lawyer.The woman had described his behaviour to UK newspaper The Guardian last year as a “constant onslaught” of advances.Khan has denied the allegations and took voluntary leave from his position at the ICC in May, while awaiting the inquiry’s results. His deputy prosecutors have been in charge of his office in his absence. According to Middle East Eye, the ASP met on Monday to discuss its response to the panel’s report. Under the court’s rules, if the bureau determines that no misconduct has occurred, the investigation should be closed.The ASP has 30 days from receiving the report to make its preliminary assessment of the alleged sexual misconduct. Khan will then have 30 days to respond, and the bureau will have another 30 days to make its decision.Khan declined to comment on the report, the outlet said.The allegations of sexual misconduct came as Khan’s office was pursuing an investigation into alleged war crimes and genocide by Israeli officials and forces in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territory.Khan sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his then-defence minister, Yoav Gallant, over “criminal responsibility” for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.He also sought arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials over the alleged unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children during Moscow’s ongoing war on Ukraine.